Improved locking-cap for bottles



'improved Looking-Cap for Bottles, Sto.; and I do hereby 1 parts in theseveral ligures.

LEWIS M. BALLARD,

Letters Patent No. 90,221, dated May 18, 1869.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVED LOCKING-CAP FOR BOTTLES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern: A

- Be it known that 1', LEWIS M. BALLARD, of' the city, county, and StateofNew York, have invented a new and declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description oi' the sa1no,reiereucc being had tothe accompanying drawings, which forni part of this specification.

This invention consists in a locking-cap, constructed upon the principleot' what is known as a combination or permutation-loch, in part oi' aseries of internallyilanged and notchedmovable rings, operating incombination with a series of iixed lugs upon the neck, or upon a collarpermanently attached thereto, so that by the turning of said adj ustablerings, after the cap has been placed upon the neck, the relath'oposition ofthe notches with that of the fixed lugs is so changed as toei'ect the locking of the cap nponthe neck, thereby preventing itsremoval until said relative position of. the parts has been againestablished.

Referring to the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 represents a verticalsection of' my improved cap applied to the neck of a bottle, and lookedthereon;

Figure 2 represents a similar View ofthe same, but unlocked Figure 3represents a horizontal section thereof, taken in the line x x,- andFigure 4 represents an exterior view ot' said cap while unlocked, takenat right angles to the other iignres. f I

Similar letters ot' reference indicate corresponding A represents abottle, upon the neck of which is firmly secured a cylindrical sleeve,or collar B.

Said collar B is provided with a series of fixed lugs, b, arranged, oneabove another, at regular distances apart, and preferably in aperpendiculaieline.

Fitted over this collar l5, `and its lugs l1, is a cylindrical capV(,i.;, having its upper and lower parts connectedtoeahother by meansof' bolts f f, or otherwlse.

Interveuirig between said upper and lower parts are passage of saidnotches over said lugs, to allow of the cap being passed over thestopper, and upon the said collar B. s

When the rap G has been thus placed upon the said collar, it may belocked thereto, somewhat after the permutation-loek principle, or, inother words, by so turning the rings a as to cause the removalpof thenotches e from under the lugs, thereby bringing the solid port-ionsofthe ilanges under the said lugs.

For unlocking the cap, or for rearranging the notches c under theirrespective lugs, the rings a are turned t0 the positions in which theywere first arranged. For this, secretsignsmay be used, such as thecombination of certain letters on the outside, forminggby the properarrangement of the rings, some mystical word or words, as shown in fig.4.

Any number and variety of letters or characters may be used inconnection with the said combination, to`

serve as a blind to the uninitiated.

The lugs b may, when practicable, be formed on the neck of the bottleitself, thereby dispensing with the necessity of using the said collarB.

What I claim as my inveniton, and desire to'secure by Letters Patent,is-

The locking-'cap C, composed in part of or provided `with a series ofnotched internally-flanged rings, operating on the principle of acombination-or perinatation-loeli, in combination with lugs ongthe neckof a.

` bottle, or other vessel, or upon a c liar permanently attachedthereto, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

` L. M. BALLARD, Witnesses: Y

FRED. HAYNES, J. W. Ooonss.

